


Twisted Cogs

by NoraMutaoFrost



Series: Twisted Cogs [1]
Category: The LEGO Ninjago Movie (2017)
Genre: Gen, Infant Echo, Infant Zane
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-09
Updated: 2019-08-09
Packaged: 2020-08-13 21:28:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 19,764
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20181007
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NoraMutaoFrost/pseuds/NoraMutaoFrost
Summary: Dr. Julien was a simple man, but he was also a lonely one. This tells how he created both Zane and Echo also what happened behind the seens of Lloyds meeting of him in 'Before they were Ninja'





	1. Chapter 1

Authors Notes: I'll be blowing through this chapters pretty fast. One chapter a day. Unless ffn won't let me post them again...

Twisted Cogs

Chapter 1

In the Making

It was just an idea on paper. Nothing was supposed to come of it, just a dream of his. Dr. Julien was a brilliant man and no one could deny it. He was the best in his field, and it was quickly getting noticed. He went from the tiny corner office in the back without windows, to having a floor to ceiling window on the top floor pretty fast. He even was offered a lot more money by different companies to have his ideas. He wasn't to sure why it kept happening. He didn't believe himself to be good at much...just tinkering.

It was summer when his boss walked into his office while he was just looking over some notes to his little pet project. The man named Dr. Christopher walked over and looked over his shoulder. Dr. Julien was in his own world imagining this little thing being alive and playing at his feet.

"Dr. Julien...what is this?" Dr. Christopher asked. Julien jumped and spun around covering the piece of paper back up and blushed at his boss.

"Sorry I was taking a small break." He said and cleared his throat. His boss took his paper and turned it back over again looking over it with a smile.

"You truly are brilliant. This looks well thought out. Are you going to build it?" He asked. Dr. Julien sighed thinking to himself and shook his head.

"I don't have the funding for something as massive as this. As much as I'd like to, I just can't." He said.

"What if I told you...we could build it? Would you? The whole idea is just...wonderful, and I know just who would fund it." He smiled and clapped Dr. Julien on the back. His heart skipped a beat, was this it? Was he going to be able to build his pet project? The project he had been dreaming of and designing for years?

"I'll get started right away." Dr. Julien said quickly looking around his office.

"Excellent. I'll get them on the phone right now and talk it over with them."

That...was the first problem. The funding...Julien should have asked where it was coming from.

It was a few weeks later when he arrived in the R and D lab ready to start work. Julien smiled as he set the things he had procured over the years onto the lab table. He loved this room, it always smelt clean, but with a hint of a brand new basketball. Yes it was a weird smell, but it was like coming home to him. It would be in this room where he created the boy he secretly dubbed Zane. To everyone else it was just project Z-01.

"Good morning Dr. Julien." Dr. Christopher walked into the room smiling as bright as a man like him could.

"Good Morning Dr. Christopher. I trust the funds have been procured?" He asked rooting around in his pocket and pulled out a pen to sign the funding papers as per usual. Dr. Christopher pulled out the manila envelope and set it down on the table.

"All ready for you to sign." He said. Dr. Julien opened the folder and read the name.

"Dr. Samukai? Never heard of him. Is he new?"

"Very new, but he's got the backing of his fathers computer company to help him. He's always looking for new science to better Ninjago." the man said. Julien shrugged his shoulders having heard those lines a million times before. He signed the papers and handed the envelope back.

"Ready then?"

"Finally...I can finish this damned project." Julien said and turned around to get started.

He had a few assistants in the lab helping him throughout the next week gathering pieces of materials, fetching things, creating software, building hardware. Finally after so much hard work on everyones part. What lay in front of them was a young boy robot with white hair, and loose limbs. Julien watched as the assistants left to go to lunch. He himself looked down at the robot boy and smiled. That was him, the little boy from his dream, someone...finally he had family. He pulled out his own lunch and began to eat it as he went over the calculations once more to insure that everything was perfect. Thats when he realized a flew...it was a flew he didn't create. He narrowed his eyes and swallowed hard. This software wasn't Z-01's intended software...this was something...far more drastic. This...was a weapon. Quickly Julien stuffed his Peanut butter and jelly sandwich into his mouth and began to tap at the keys very quickly. He had to mess things up greatly. He had to keep this software from working.

"Finally he was finished. If he had did his codes properly this hard drive was a brick now. It wouldn't have worked at all." Finally lunch break was over. When the assistants came back into the room they saw Julien looking back over his notes with an apple in his mouth. He looked up and smiled.

"Back already? That was fast. Or maybe I'm just working to hard?" He chuckled and put his apple back into the bag. "Are we ready?" He asked. Dr. Christopher walked over to Z-01 and smiled.

"Ready…" He flipped a switch. Juliens heart clamped down hoping his plan worked. He secretly pleaded that he didn't just create a monster.

"Damn...why won't this blasted thing work?" Dr. Christopher flipped the switch on and off several times before clicking the box and leaving.

"Ah well...perhaps there's something wrong with the code. I'll get right on it sir." Julien said sitting down behind the desk with a new hard drive and got to work. No one was going to hurt his Zane and get away with it. He as a smart man, very smart.

"Julien...if that robot isn't alive by tomorrow...I'll have your job." Dr. Christopher said. Julien smiled and shrugged his shoulders.

"Doesn't matter to me. I've got loads of people wanting me to work with them. I'll just go to the highest bidder and do this project." Julien looked up over his laptop. "Oh and...Dr. Christopher...if you tamper with my hard drives again I'll go higher then you." What Dr. Christopher didn't know, was while Dr. Christopher was off getting the funding. Dr. Julien was promoted above him. It was slightly hilarious, and a little scary.

"Julien...are you threatening me?"

"Of course." Julien said and kept tapping at the keys. "You may leave now. I have a long night ahead of me thanks to you sabotage." Julien watched Dr. Christopher grow red in the face but he did leave.

Later on into the night Julien stood over the boy once again and pushed the hard drive into the chest piece and picked up a box and sighed.

"Now this...is yours." He said opening the box. " Only one like it in existence and I will not make another." He said. He reached in and pulled out the glowing disk shaped piece and set it into the middle of his chest where a human heart would have been. Once inside the whole being began to wake up. Toes twitched, legs twitched, his fingers and arms. All of which were coming online for the first time. This...was the birth of his son. Finally after about five minutes of the systems checking all the pieces to ensure they worked properly. The eyes opened and locked onto his.

"Hello Zane." Dr. Julien said to him. "I am Dr. Julien. But you may call me father." He told him. Zane opened his mouth to speak, but kept moving his lips into little movements. As if mimicking works, without sound.

"F...Father?" He finally said. His voice was so small sounding, as if it were that of a child. Dr. Julien smiled down at him and nodded.

"Yes. That is correct." He said smiling down at him.

"Where...are we?" He asked.

"This is the R and D lab at Digital Cogs. Its kind of a big corporation in the very heart of the city.

"City?" Zane asked.

"Its a big place where lots of people live. Its big, and loud."

"Loud…" Zane smiled

"Yes very. Now if you don't mind I'd like to get this shirt on you. No one should see you naked. Its not proper." He told him putting a long shirt on him, and pulled on some underwear and pants on him. The shirt was a bit to long on him.

"I am...shorter than you." Zane said. Julien chuckled and nodded.

"Yes you are, you are a child. As you grow I'll create replacement bodies for you to exist in that way your brain can grow too. Bigger hard drive space and all that. Just tell me before you hit your limit of space and we'll get you a new body. I've guessed this hard drive will only got a few years before I have to get you a new one."

"Dr. Julien I was wondering if you needed me for anything before I le…" The woman stopped and looked at Zane. Zanes eyes grew wide at the woman whose hair was bright and red.

"I am Zane." He told her. The woman smiled down at him.

"I'm Judy." She said holding out her hand for him. Zane looked at her hand wondering if she was holding something out to him. She giggled.

"Its a handshake." She said and took his hand and shook it.

"What is this...function?" He asked.

"It is a greeting Zane. You do it with people you meet."

"Oh…" He said and shook her hand a little harder. Judy giggled and looked around at her bag and pulled something out. Bright construction paper and some crayons.

"This will keep him busy while you do your paperwork Doc." She said. Dr. Julien thanked her before watching her leave.

"What is that?" Zane asked. Julien smiled putting the paper down on the table and began to draw a tree.

"This is a tree. They're everywhere outside the city and they even have some at parks." Julien said and yawned.

"Father...you are tired." He told Julien who nodded his head.

"Yes I am. I think its time to go home." He told Zane. He walked over and picked up Zane.

"What about your paperwork?" Zane asked. Julien chuckled and smiled at Zane. he was glad he had introduced words to his hard drive but he didn't have time to do a lot of definitions. Oh well he'd enjoy teaching him as if he were a real child.

"I do my paperwork as I go." He said and waved to the security officer.

"Hey you finished your project. Neat...does he do anything special?"

"No I'm afraid not yet." He put his fingers to Zanes lips stopping him from saying anything.

Once at home Julien took Zane to a room he had set aside for guests. The house was huge and it was across the street from a park he would introduce Zane to one day.

"This is your bedroom." He told Zane. Zane looked around at the plane walls, a dresser, and a bed. It was all very plane and white. He liked it. He was placed down on the bed and watched as the blankets were pulled back and he was placed under them.

"Alright lets power you down till 6 am alright?" He told Zane. Zanes optics blinked.

"Inputted 6am wake up time confirm?" Julien chuckled and ruffled his hair.

"Confirm. Good night my son." Zane yawned as he seen his father do before turning over and put his cheek to his hand. His eyes off-lined.

"Good night...father." He whispered before fully offline.


	2. Daily Rituals

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dr. Julien takes Zane home and shows him what day to day life is like

Authors Notes: A golden cookie for the person who can figure out what Julien is doing at the end of this chapter (Other then lunch)

Twisted Cogs

Chapter 2

Daily Rituals

Julien woke up at 6am as usual. He had walked into the bathroom and smiled remembering that he was a father now. He finished up in the bathroom and looked out into the hallway. Zane had slowly opened the door to peak out. He spotted Dr. Julien and smiled. He quietly walked out of the room and met him at the bathroom door.

"I suppose the first thing we need to do is brush our teeth." He told his son. Zane looked puzzled at this.

"What...what is that?" He asked as Julien held up an extra tooth brush he normally kept just in case something unforeseen happened to his or if he misplaced it again in his tired state.

"This is a toothbrush. I'll show you what to use it for." He said holding up the tooth paste and squirted some of the blue gel onto the brush.

"Alright...now you stick it in your mouth and brush your teeth." He said doing the same so Zane knew what to do. Zane copied his father not really liking the taste of the paste. Julien laughed looking at the mild look on Zanes face. He didn't look to pleased.

"The texture isn't pleasant either." Zane mumbled looking up at his father.

"Perhaps not, but we must do this or your teeth will rot and fall out." Zane gasped and renewed his efforts in brushing his teeth.

"How long have you been brushing your teeth father?" Zane asked curiously.

"Oh since I'm 35 years old I'd say about that long." He told him. Zane gasped and copied his dad spitting the paste out and gargling with mouthwash.

"Alright this next part you won't have to worry about." Julien grabbed a razor and cream.

"Why will I not have to worry?"

"Well Zane you are a boy and a robot. You will not grow facial hair like I do." Julien said lathering his face up and beginning to shave. He gasped nicking his chin. Zane gasped seeing the blood start to come from the wound.

"You are hurt father!" He said reaching up to Juliens face.

"Oh I'm fine son. Just a little wound, I can close it off using a little toilet paper." He said doing so showing Zane that he wasn't hurt to much. "See no harm done. I'm always doing that there."

"If it harms you, why do it?"

"Because I don't look good with a beard." Julien winked at Zane and laughed. Zane didn't to much understand. What did looks have to do with injuring oneself?

"Oh you'll understand someday when you fall in love."

"I'm afraid I do not understand love father." Julien reached down and picked up Zane. his walk was still a little wobbly. It was actually quite adorable, but Julien suspected that it might be an equilibrium problem.

Juliens cell started to ring. He tucked it under his chin as he held Zane. The kitchen was rather dirty. He hated to wash dishes.

"Yes yes I have him here with me. Yes its a him…" Julien pulled a pot from the sink and began to wash it. "I had to take my work home with me Christopher. Unlike you I'm actually committed to my work." Julien rolled his eyes and looked at Zane who was sitting on a chair patiently kicking his legs this way and that watching him clean some plates. Julien hung up on Dr. Christopher.

"How about some breakfast?" He asked cleaning off the stove.

"Breakfast? Hopefully thats something to consume. I am on empty." Zane said which got the doctor to laugh.

"Yes Zane it is something to eat. How about Eggs, Sausage, and toast?" He asked the boy who smiled and nodded. He knew what those were, but he wasn't sure if he liked them, but he was hungry and he wanted to try it if his father wanted to feed it to him.

"Are you...alright Zane?" Julien had sat the food down in front of him after making it. Zane was find, he just wasn't to sure how to eat the food he had been presented with.

"Yes father I just...don't...know how?" He asked and looked up at Julien who looked a little bewildered. He was sure he had programmed this into him.

"Yes...um…" He picked up his fork and started to eat his eggs. "Like so." He showed him. Zane did the same thing, putting the eggs into his mouth and began to chew. It was a little runny, and over seasoned. But it was good and he was hungry. He cleared his plate faster then Julien did. He stood up and took his plate to the sink. He pulled the chair over and began to wash the dishes.

"Oh Zane you don't have to do that." He said

"But it is fair is it not? You made the food and I clean up." He said. Julien didn't remember programming that into him either. So odd that he would know these sorts of things. Perhaps Zanes artificial intelligence was far more advanced then even he knew.

"Well alright, just be wary of the knife i used to cut up the sausage." He told him.

"Yes father." He told him.

Julien came back from getting on his every day clothing to his kitchen being spotless. Zane now sat down on the floor with the construction paper and crayons. He looked down at the paper and smiled. It was a picture of himself and Zane.

"Zane can you come here for a moment?" Julien asked sitting down on the couch. He had a wet washcloth in his hand. He pulled the shirt off Zane and began to wash his face and hands free of the yoke, and grease of their breakfast.

"There we go…" He said redressing him in something new.

"Thank you." Zane said looking back down at the clothing, this time he had on socks, and shoes too.

"Now a word of warning. Do not ever...ever let Dr. Christopher or anything thats friendly with him to open you up. They aren't allowed and they will probably only cause you harm." Julien said. Zane gulped at this news and just nodded. "Good boy." He said and took his hand.

"Are we going back to the lab now?" Zane asked.

"I'm afraid so, their are still some tests they want to run on you. I also want to look you over to see if theirs anything wrong bodily while I can still fix it." He said running his finger lovingly over Zanes tiny fingers.

"What if...I'm not right?" Zane asked. Julien smiled and shook his head.

"We'll probably make another...but you'll still be my son. My Zane." Julien picked him up hugging him tightly. "I love you." Their was that word again, that word Zane didn't understand, but it appeared to mean a lot.

Zane walked into the lobby of the lab building. It was a huge white building with lots of windows, and doors. Once inside he could see that the walls were painted blues and greens.

"Good afternoon Dr. Julien." The woman named Judy said from the entrance. "Looks like you have a meeting in thirty minutes." She said looking at her tablet. "Did you want me to look after Zane until then? I brought some dvds for him to watch." She held up Walle.

"Whats that?" Zane asked looking up at Julien. He chuckled.

"Why don't you go find out?" He told Zane. Zane looked a little beside himself. He watched Julien walk down the hallway.

"Father?" He called. Perhaps thats what it was? The desire to be by someone. "I love you." He called out. Julien turned and walked back picking him up and hugging him tightly.

"I love you too."

"Oh you two are so cute." Judy giggled taking Zanes hand and walking him into Juliens office and put the dvd into the player. "This is a movie, you watch them as they tell a story." She told him. Zane gasped looking over the brightly colored landscapes, and ships, the music, and then the love story.

"How did he do?" Julien asked. Judy smiled over her tablet and shrugged her shoulders.

"Glued to the tv like most children are. He laughed…"

"He laughed? Extraordinary."

"You mean you programmed him with emotions?" Dr. Christopher looked rather annoyed.

"No I didn't...but he's artificially intelligent. Means he can learn to have them." Julien said. Christopher shook his head and grumbled before walking over to Zane.

"Hey there Zane? I'm Dr. Christopher." He held out his hand. Zane narrowed his eyes at him, but shook his hand to be polite. "Hey he knows some manners."

"Of course he does." Julien rolled his eyes. "He's my creation after all."

"How would you like to go with me to the test labs?" Zane gasped and ran over to Julien taking his hand. Julien smiled at Zane.

"Come on, we do need to have those tests done...but I do believe my team will be doing them. Good day Dr. Christopher." Julien left with Judy behind him. Zane looked over his shoulder at Christopher and stuck out his tongue.

Dr. Christopher wasn't as smart as most people in the company. He had scratched and lied his way to where he was, but to watch someone like Dr. Julien to get above him without even trying angered him so much. He looked around the lobby with anger watching that little robot boy stick his tongue out at him. His cheeks turned red, and he began to form a plan in his mind. He was going to get that Dr. Julien. He wanted that robot boy to be his son, that was fine with him. He stood up and walked into Dr. Juliens office again. He rooted around in his drawers and finally found what he was looking for. The blueprints to his pet project. He took pictures of it, and put them back into the drawers. He walked out of the room and left the building completely.

Dr. Julien sat in his office watching Zane play with a few toys in the middle of the floor. Their was a tiny toy that he had made him. Just a tiny thing that moved on its own if you pull the wheels back it would sail forward. He suddenly thought of something and smiled. He pulled out some paper and a pencil and got to work immediately. He still had a lot of funds from this project and who's to say its done right? He chuckled when Zane walked over and tugged on his sleeve.

"Its noon father. Your tummy's been growling. Perhaps we should eat." He told him. Julien wasn't aware that he had been sitting there for three hours now. Zane had put his new toys into a box already.

"Alright Zane. Lets go to the cafeteria. With your cleaning the kitchen so nicely we had no way of making us a lunch." He chuckled and took his hand.


	3. Water

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Garmadons attacks leads Dr. Julien and Zane into their bunker while they wait for the all clear, its time for some cuteness.

Authors Notes: I have a tumblr account if you want to talk to be directly its the same user name there as it is here. 1. Who protected Ninjago from Garmadon before the ninja? Now thats a loaded question. I guess I'll have to answer that when the lab gets messed up :D

Twisted Cogs

Chapter 3

Water

Dr. Christopher stood in the center of a room. The walls were made of tin siding, and the walls were concert. Everything he noted would be easily cleaned with a pressure washer and a bottle of bleach. He honestly believed it probably had multiple times. Samukai wasn't a man you messed with. When he wanted something, his men tended to get it for him at all costs...as of right now he himself was what he wanted. An item had been promised to him, and he had yet to obtain it.

"I was unable to procure you the robot Dr. Samukai." He actually wasn't a doctor at all. A degree gotten from his knife knowledge rather then his schooling. Apparently he was really good with knives.

"Yes...I see that." His voice was low and controlled. But his eyes showed Dr. Christopher that he wasn't to pleased with this.

"But I have gotten something just as good. I got the robots blueprints." He held up his phone.

"Thats a phone…" Samukai said pointing to the large red device.

"Yes it is...but theirs a camera on it." Dr. Christopher started to wonder how technology inclined he was.

"Those aren't blueprints, or a robot I asked for."

"If you'll allow for me to print the blueprints then I can create a robot for you? Me personally."

"You have three days Dr. Christopher. If I do not have what I want...I'll have your head." Christopher felt like his heart was in his throat.

"I um...thank you." He said and turned to walk back out. He realized he had came to this spot via kidnap and forgot that he had no car. He'd have to find his own way home. He sighed and started to walk. Their was a low rumble off in the distance and grey clouds with the promise of hard rain.

"Perfect." He grumbled.

(0)

The sky flashed, and a loud crack woke Zane from his sleep. He looked around worried.

"Father?" He whispered looking into the shadows of his room. He quietly and slowly pulled his blanket up to his chin. He felt a stone in his stomach, and the fear kept clawing at his insides. Another flash and a rumble and he was out of bed and into the closet.

It was only a few moments later when the door opened to his bedroom.

"Zane?" Juliens voice called and he looked around the room. The light flipped on and he could see that Zanes bed was empty. "Oh no…" He looked around the room and under the bed. Nothing their. Another crack of lightning and a loud long rumble, a small squeaky scream came from the closet. Julien walked over and opened the door a little. Zane was on his knees his forehead against the floor. His hands over his audios. Julien looked thoughtful at him. Yet another emotion he shouldn't even know about. No ones been afraid around him. Thats when he noticed, the room was incredibly cold. He could see the fog coming from his mouth. He turned the closet light on and he gasped seeing the floor and walls covered in permafrost.

"Zane?" He reached down touching the robot. "Are you hurt?" He asked. Zane jumped when he was touched, He slowly turned his eyes to him. They were no longer the brown he had designed him with, they were an icey blue.

"N...No sir." He gasped turning around hugging Julien around his middle as another crack could be heard.

"Then why are you afraid?" He asked. Zane shook his head.

"Its the noise...that huge noise. It shakes my room."

"Its just thunder and lightning Zane. Its a natural occura…" He jumped hearing the sirens going off. He picked up Zane and walked down a set of stairs he never knew was there. Julien closed the door right behind him.

"Father whats that?" He asked. Julien shook his head.

"Garmadons attacking the city. He doesn't generally attack this side of town...but I have someone I want to protect now, so we came down here."

"Oh...who?" Zane asked looking out over the city. The ground shook, but their wasn't any flash.

"Hush…" Julien pulled Zane over to a corner and pulled a table over to shield them from anything falling. "Hopefully it won't last long." He whispered.

Julien opened his eyes a few hours later. He felt someone moving in his arms and realized that he had fallen asleep holding his son tightly to him. He looked down seeing Zane had his eyes open, but he was still very tired. His sleep had been interrupted, but he was supposed to wake up at 6am. It was programmed into him. Zane flinched at the sudden pressure on his forehead. It was Juliens lips. Zane closed his eyes and leaned into the kiss. He was beginning to enjoy life with Dr. Julien. How could anything mess this up?"

A few hours later and a long walk to the lab since the transit authority was out of commision thanks to Garmadon. The looks Zane got as he walked by the many people was rather scary. But some people were actually pretty kind to Julien and one even gave him a bag full of apples. Apparently his store couldn't be opened thanks to Garmadons attack. Zane looked around the buildings even heard some shouting down an alleyway. He skirted away from the alleyway as his father did.

Once again back at the lab, Zane noticed as soon as they walked into the lab that the electricity wasn't all working, just the absolute necessary.

"Glad we brought out lunches today. I'm sure the stoves aren't on again."

Julien said smiling down at the robot boy. Judy smiled down at them. Her usual tablet being hugged to her chest.

"Oh great you're okay. I heard you might be a little late since the wreckage took out the transit authority. Garmadon destroyed a lot of the buildings close to the college." She said and waved at Zane. Zane blinked and looked at his own hand and then smiled up at Judy and waved his hand at her the same only his hand went faster and he let out a giggle. Julien chuckled at him.

"How did he take the attack?" Judy asked.

"We both went into the basement. He was more afraid of the storm." Julien chuckled walking into his office. "Has everything been completed?" He asked.

"Yes per your instructions. Project Z-02 can progress as planned. Dr. Christopher was...not pleased with this. He wanted to know what your means were. As a project or as a family."

"Well their are two different power sources that needs to be tested. This one was a success as far as we can tell, although he has yet to be tested in submerged conditions. This one is a bit more of a cheaper model." He said holding up what looked like a clock. "A friend of mine helped with its design. Yet he knew not why he helped." Julien said. Zane looked at the blueprints.

"What is this?" Zane asked looking at the blueprints.

"This is the schematic blueprints for your brother."

"Brother?" Zane asked looking through his internal dictionary. "A sibling? A younger brother...a playmate?" His face broke into a giant smile and he hopped on both feet. "Great...when?" He asked.

"Soon enough. Just be patient." Judy said holding out a few papers. "But this takes time. Could be a few days, could be a week depending on how the power source works out. In the meantime...just keep being the kind young robot boy that you always have been." Judy said. Zane ran his fingers over his face wondering why his cheeks felt hot.

"Oh hes blushing Dr. Julien. I think I embarrassed him." She giggled.

"Alright...lets get these tests started." Julien said. Zane took Juliens hand and walked with him into one of the labs with a giant pool. Their was a scaffolding overhanging the water.

"Alright Zane stand over there and jump into the water when I give you the mark." Julien said touching something on the side of Zanes head. "I've turned your inner communicator on. I'll be able to hear you in your head as you think."

"Yes father, but what for?"

"We'll be testing your limitations, and how you might hold at different depths. A lot of the customers will want to know how far down you can go...for future applications. For instance. If you got a job at the college for marine work. You could go pretty far down to help find creatures we have yet to discover, or shipwrecks...or even rescue!" He said and smiled. "I did create you to protect those who can't protect themselves after all." Julien said. Zane smiled and nodded.

"Yes sir." Zane said watching his father walk onto the scaffolding. Judy had her hand on Zanes shoulder as support just in case he needed a bit of a confidence boost.

Julien moved the platform over the water so he could clearly see Zane as he moved through the water. Zane walked into the two feet of water and waited a moment. He looked up at his father and waved.

"I do not feel any different." He told his father.

"Alright go to the three feet." He told Zane. Zane turned to see Judy just behind him. Her tablet in a chair by the door away from the water.

"Its okay I'm right here." Judy said with a smile. She was always so kind. Zane liked her. He walked forward and stood at the three foot marker. It was just up to his chin now. He swallowed hard and looked back at Judy again. Judy was up to her hips now.

"Your suits going to get wet." Zane said "Please stay there." He told her. Judy smiled warmly at the robot boy.

"Its okay Zane. I want to protect you. Just in case something bad happ…" she gasped when the scaffolding wire snapped. Juliens yelp was heard throughout the room.

"Father!" Zane yelled after him. Julien held onto the machinery. It hung over the deep part of the pool.

"Jump Dr. Julien!" Judy said. "Swim away from the scaffolding!" Judy yelled. Zane watched in horror as his father slipped and crashed into the water. The scaffolding snapped and fell in after.


	4. Echo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zanes got this rescue stuff down.

Authors Notes: I love this chapter soooooo much. Please tell me what you all think :D

Twisted Cogs

Chapter 4

Echo

Zane watched in horror as his father hit the water. Then he scaffolding. Zane didn't think twice he dove into the water, and swam down. He saw the scaffolding and his father was pinned down. He reached down pulling at the metal pieces which bent under pressure very easily. His fathers eyes were closed, and his mouth was half opened. He could be wrong, but he was pretty sure humans needed air to survive. He himself found that he too needed air to cool his systems. His internal systems were started to send him an error message for his exhaust systems. He was unable to purge without opening his vents which would pull water into his systems.

He reached down and pulled his father up from under the scaffolding and swam him to the surface. His systems hitched halfway up. His vision began to dance in front of him. It caused his vents to open. He was panicking for air. But if he continued to panic he would drop his father. Just a few more feet now. We'll be alright...His head broke the surface. Judy reached out and pulled Julien out of the water.

"Dr. Julien!" Judy pulled him into his side letting water leave his lungs before beginning CPR. Zane watched from where he was holding onto the side of the pool. He kept trying to pull in air, but something was wrong. Something wasn't working right. He smiled when he saw his father begin to cough and hold his arm. It was at an odd angle. He turned over to see Zane in the water.

"I'd say..water rescue would be a success." He panted out. Zane shook his head, he was losing it. He couldn't quite get this right. His lost his grip.

"Not...right." Zane whispered. Julien sensed it before Zane sunk into the water.

"Judy!" She jumped in after him as his head went under. The last moments of consciousness were what he remembers most. Judys silhouette floating down toward his sinking body. She grabbed him around the midsection and pulled him back toward the surface.

"Whats wrong with him?"

"He still needs air to survive. Its a natural cooling agent even computers need air to cool itself. He's no different. If he can't vent the hot air he keeps it inside and begins to overheat. That must have happened and his vents opened. He still can't cool himself off because the water is blocking his fans. Julien reached over and pulled the vent covers from Zane letting the water drain out.

"Come...we need to get some oil into his system, or he'll start to rust out." Zanes systems hitched again. Julien felt his body under his arm, it hurt so much to just hold him like this. He wasn't sure how bad his arm was injured, but he didn't care. Zane came first. He walked him into the R and D lab. In the middle of the room where Zane once lay their was a bronzed version of him. He sat down in a chair and pulled a small jug of oil over and pointed for Judy to hand him a mug. She handed it to him and he poured the oil into it.

"Come on Zane wake up." Julien coughed again trying to dislodge the water from his lungs again. He reached out grabbing the mug now full of oil and lightly pouring it into zanes mouth. The oil slowly went down his throat and the swallow reflex caught it, but he wasn't waking up. Julien closed his eyes, saying a silent prayer. He wasn't a religious man, but if he could get some help from anyone hopefully it would be him. He poured the oil into his mouth again. Zanes hand shakily drifted up to touch Juliens hand to keep the mug there, he drank greedily from the mug until their wasn't anything left. When Julien tried to pull his hand away to put the mug down Zane wouldn't let go of his hand. Julien didn't argue, nor did he try to pull harder, he let Zane hold his hand. His mouth an oily mess from his feeding. He hadn't drank oil yet, only water. He must have been hungry for it. Julien made a mental note to give him oil at least once a day.

Judy watched from the corner, she was still soaking wet from her dive. She watched Dr. Julien feed his son oil. When she saw Zanes hand fall to his fathers hand she had to step out into the hallway. She didn't want to disturb them with her tears. She never thought she'd become emotionally compromised by a project. She walked into the company when she first started promising herself that it was just a job...so when did it start to feel like a family? She seen Dr. Julien as not only her boss, but a father figure. So when she saw Zane for the first time she wanted to make him feel at home. His eyes, his heart were so much bigger then her own...and they weren't even real. She peaked back into the room to see Juliens forehead to Zanes his tears free falling now. Zanes fingers were wrapped around his thumb, the mug was pressed between their chests. Completely forgotten.

"Ms. Judy?" Dr. Christopher walked over looking over Judy and the tears that were on her cheeks. Judy pushed the tears aside with her wet sleeve. "Why are you soaked?" He asked looking amazed.

"Oh um...the scaffolding in the pool room fell onto Dr. Julien. I had to jump in and save him with Zanes help."

"Oh was he injured?"

"I don't know. He's in there with Zane." Judy said. Dr. Christopher pushed past Judy and walked into the lab.

"Julien!" He called. Julien sat up and looked at Dr. Christopher with amazement. The worry written on his face was weird.

"I...um…" Julien stood up laying Zane down next to his potential brother. "He's alright, just a bit of a flood to his system. We'll look into it." Julien said

"Your arm." Judy said seeing the nice deep pink and purple color to it. "Doctor why don't you tell people when your hurt. This is like the billionth time you've done this." She said motioning for Julien to walk with her.

"Father?" Zanes soft voice asked. His eyes however weren't on Dr. Julien it was on Dr. Christopher. Zanes arms went up to hug his non-functioning brother.

"Its alright Zane...he was just leaving." Yet another emotion he didn't program him with. The desire to protect ones sibling from harm. Julien motioned or Dr. Christopher to leave. The man grumbled as he left the room.

"While I'm gone...why don't you think of a name for him? We were going to try and turn him on after the water experiment."

"Will we still try?" zane asked looking down at the boy with dirty blonde hair, his eyes weren't opened yet, but their was a huge gaping hole in his chest. He assumed thats where his power source was supposed to go.

"Yes, but be patient Zane." Julien said coughing some more. Zane could hear the strain in the cough. He still had water in his lungs. Zane turned to look at his brother and smiled kindly. He wondered just how he was going to be. He put his head back down and put his forehead into his brothers hair letting his chin rest against his shoulder. He couldn't wait to meet him. His mind already wrapped around the fact that he loved him. He wanted to look at him more to see his face, but his eyes grew heavy again. He didn't get much rest the night before. But the thoughts of his brother echoed through his mind over and over again to the point where he dreamed about him. A kind hearten boy, who loved cars, and reading books.

"Zane?" His world rocked back and forth. He jumped out of his rest and looked around rubbing his hands over his optics. He looked up to see his father. His arm in a sling.

"Father?" He whispered and smiled.

"Are you ready?" He asked holding up something that looked like a clock.

"Yes sir." Zane said and looked down at his brother realizing he had laced his fingers into his while sleeping. He didn't bother pulling away.

"Then were we go." He said and placed the power source into the bronze model. Julien walked behind his laptop and smiled at it as he watched the progress show up. It was slow at first, but it began to grow faster.

"Alright Zane you sh…" The boy sat straight up and gasped looking around panicking.

"Its okay...your okay." Zane said putting his hands on either side of his face making him look into his bright blue eyes. Z-02 made a few whimpering noises before looking up at Julien who rushed around to look him in the optics. The golden optics locked back onto Zanes.

"What happened?" Zane asked Julien concerned seeing tears run down his brothers faceplate.

"I don't know…" Julien asked watching as the younger robot put his arms around his brothers middle.

"Was dark...alone." He whispered. His vocabulary was more pronounced then Zanes was at first. Julien had worked with that, and actually had a bit more time to perfect the hard drive then he had the first time.

"Its okay Echo. We won't let anyone harm you. I promise." Zane whispered looking down at his brother who nuzzled up to Zane and smiled.

"Echo?" Julien asked.

"Yes...Echo." Echo reached up and touched Zanes face.

"What is he doing?" Judy asked watching the brothers interact.

"My guess is getting to know one another. He woke up with such a fright, maybe he just wants to be reassured." Julien said and walked over when Echo reached for him. Echo did the same to Julien and then looked at Judy.

Judy just smiled and walked out of the room. No matter how much she loved them she didn't want to be seen as their mother. Echo looked a little questioning, but turned his attention back to Julien.

"This is our father." Zane told Echo.

"Fa…" He thought for a second and smiled. "Dad?"

"Whatever pleases you to say. Now come, lets see if you can walk."

Echo stood up walking out the door and into the lobby. Zane stood on one side watching Julien help his brother walk with his hand in his.

"Oh look...another one. Looks like he's made a replacement." Zane looked up to see Dr. Christopher.

"Stay away from him."

"Oh I have no reason to touch him. But you. Its only a matter of time before Julien throws you away now that he's got a better model. The only reason we create two of something is if something displeases us about the original." He said with a chuckle. "I'll have you to myself...sooner or later." He laughed and walked into the cafeteria. Zane felt his heart begin to hurt, as he watched his new brother and father walking around the lobby. Was that what Echo was...his replacement?


	5. Sibling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zane runs Echo out of the complex after some words are exchanged. Right into a battle ground. Being rescued by Ganki. The Master of Ice

Authors Notes: There that answers who protected the city before. I figured the ninja before these ninja looked different from the show version (Nor didn't I know some of their names before so I just made that one up.) so hope you like this ninja :D

Twisted Cogs

Chapter 5

Siblings

He knew he shouldn't have let it bother him so much. Dr. Christopher probably said it to get under his skin, but here he was watching his brother walking around his fathers office inspecting things as he once did. He himself sat on the floor with his cars. Echo would look over at him several times for his approval if he were to reach out for something. Zane would either nod or shake his head. Echo was incredibly obedient, and he loved him for it. But their was that ever present fear in him that wondered what would happen to them once the experiments were all over. It wasn't Dr. Christophers warning that scared him, it was the thoughts that followed.

Finally after a few moments of wonder he looked up at his father who was hard at work with his paperwork he had been holding off. Echo was sitting down near him with the cars. They had taken manila folders and lined them up on the ground to make a road. A long forgotten box that once housed tools or parts were perfect sizes for buildings. They had made themselves a small ninjago city in a corner.

"Father? What happens to experiments when your finished with them?" Zane asked his father. Julien not looking up from his work shrugged his shoulders.

"Most are dismantled and used for spare parts on other e…" He stopped and looked up at Zane who had moved quickly to grab his brother and rush for the door. Juliens heart seemed to stop. "No…" He whispered to himself. "Not you two…" Julien yelled out after them trying to get them to stop. Off in the distance he could hear the sirens. Another Garmadon attack.

"No...not now." Julien yelled after Judy who was walking down the hallway with some sandwiches for the brothers.

"Judy...I said something stupid and they ran. Did you see them?"

"No sir...what happened?" Judy asked.

"Zane got curious...asked me about experiments." Julien said "He ran off when I told them what happens. He grabbed Echo and ran. I really wish he understood that he wasn't an experiment."

"Oh...he wasn't? I shouldn't have said anything then?" Dr. Christophers voice came from the stairwell.

"I see...so your the reason for these irrational thoughts." Julien glared at him.

"But isn't that what happens? Isn't that what he was just supposed to be? I mean thats what you were supposed treat him as. When did he become family?" Christopher laughed and pushed Julien away from him.

"You have until I find my boys to get your stuff and get out of these labs Christopher...you've compromised this experiment."

"Oh...have I?" He laughed and walked down the stairs.

(0)

Outside however their was a lot of screaming people, and loads of fallen walls. Zane knew how to get home, but everything looked so different, and their were so many people running around he couldn't make any good assumptions. He looked from one place to another running down an empty alleyway. They stopped behind a dumpster, Echo was so scared that he never once let go of Zanes hand. He wasn't to sure what was going on or why his brother grabbed him up like he had and ran. But he trusted him, he was after all the first person he ever saw.

"Brother...whats going on?" Echos voice was shaky and very scared sounding to Zane.

"I won't let them dismantle you, they can do what they want with me. I can't lose you. Your my baby brother." Zane pulled him close listening to the sounds around them. Explosions, people screaming, the crunching of buildings as they crumbled. He could smell fire, close by. A few people ran pasted them not even registering that they exist. Thats when it happened. The wall over them crunched and fell minor inches from Zanes leg. He looked up to see what looked like a huge crab person. Zane grabbed his brothers hand and ran farther down the alleyway. He couldn't see much at all the snow was starting to fall harder now. Almost as if he himself were trying to conceal their escape. Echo yelped in pain as he fell onto his front. Zane hurried back to help his brother up. His front now covered in oils and gunk from the dirty alleyways. Just as soon as a did so a crab man put a harpoon to his neck.

"Your coming with me…" He gasped seeing the look of them, they weren't human. Even though they looked human for a little while their were features that showed him they weren't.

"What are you?" He backed up and then grew angry for being deceived and hit Zane across the face with his booted foot.

"Brother!" Echo rushed over to put himself between the harpoon and his brother. Zanes neck sparked, and popped. His face was dented and oils came from his mouth.

"Echo…" They both closed their eyes thinking it was the end, but the harpoon never met its mark. Zane opened his eyes to see a man standing between them and the crab man. His hair was just as white and wild as his own but their was a few strands on one side that had beads hanging off it. Their was a large snowflake on the back of his Gi.

"Are you two alright?" His accent was different then Zane had heard before.

"Yes…" Zane said. He got up looking around for an escape his neck popped and sparked again. Zane gasped when he felt someone elses hand on his. It was the man.

"It looks to be like your strut might be bent into your neck axle." Echo looked at the man with a little fear, he was tucked protectively in his brothers arms, but what could his brother do if this man could do the same to them that he did to the man who was now frozen in place?

"Do you need help getting home?" The man asked.

"We were built at a lab." Echo offered.

"The one a few blocks from here? What were you doing outside during an attack? We ninja can't keep helping you if you do not let us." He said. "I am Ganki." The man pulled down his mouth part of his hood. "Looks to me like you too have the ice element. I did not create that snow storm. I used to when I was very scared."

"Ice element?" Zane asked

"Yes...were you not aware?"

"No…" Zane looked at his hand as they walked down the street. The whole area was in pieces.

"Zane?" Echo whispered looking on in fear at the building that was once their birthplace. It was in pieces with parts of mech still on it.

"Father...Judy…" Zane swallowed hard looking back at Ganki. He put has hand on Zanes shoulder.

"I am afraid if their was anyone in there...they are gone." He said. Zane took hold of his brothers hand and started to walk him toward their home.

"Do you know where you are going?" the white ninja asked. Zane nodded his head and kept walking. "Poor nindroid." Zane looked up at Ganki.

"Nindroid?"

"You'll see." He said and ran off into the shadows. His movements were so quick and soundless Zane would have swore he was a ghost.

About an hour later Zane walked into the house he and Julien had shared for a few days. Echo was sniffing, his knees and lands were scraped from climbing over things and all he really wanted to do is sit for a little while and think on the days events. But the only thing that happened was they were both picked up and held close to someone. Zane found himself letting go of his brother for once the night and put his head down on the shoulder of whomever it was that held them. His processors turned off and he just lay there not comprehending much. Echo looked at his brother and yelled for him. He shook him, but he wasn't moving.

"Shhh Echo...he's exhausted and wounded. Lets get him fixed up before I make dinner. I'm sure your both hungry since we didn't get a chance to eat lunch."

Zane onlined again not to long after he was finished being fixed. He was laying on the couch, and his arm was bandaged and so were his knees. He gagged tasting something in his mouth that he didn't like.

"Dad he's awake." Echo reached over putting his hand on Zanes forehead.

"Its a cotton swab. It was meant to soak up the oil you kept spewing from a wound in your mouth."

"What happened Zane?" Julien leaned over the couch. Zane sat up grabbing Echo and pulling to him, but his legs gave out and he fell onto the coffee table breaking it to splinters.

"Zane?" Julien gasped flinching when they fell onto the table. "Its alright, I never want to dismantle either of you. You both are my sons, and we never have to go back to that lab again." Julien said.

"What about them?" Zane asked. "Dr. Christopher said you'd throw me away since I was such a failure. Its why you created Echo in the first place." Zane said.

"You were never a failure Zane...I created Echo so you could have a companion when I'm busy working." Echo smiled at his brother and threw his arms around him and nuzzled him. Zane cringed at the contact to his hurt neck. Echo pulled back apologetically.

"S...fine." Zane said looking up at his father and asked him.

"We were saved by someone...he called himself a ninja."

"Oh you got to meet one?" He asked. "Which one?" He asked.

"Its the white one dad. He froze a crab guy solid." Echo said with enthusiasm.

"I see…What did he say?" Julien asked sitting on the couch.

"That I had an ice element as well."

"I thought as much. He was the one to give me the power source you now have Zane. He...probably sensed you were in danger. I kept that fact a secret." Zanes hand ran over his chestplate. A loud growl echoed in the living room. He gasped and looked down at his stomach and heard a giggle.

"Zanes hungry." Echo stood up helping his brother off the busted coffee table. "The powers out so all we have is sandwiches." He told his brother who shook his head.

"I don't mind, I like deli meats." He told his brother.

"I see…" Julien chuckled as Zane started to wolf down his food with a bit of a hurry. "Slow down Zane or you'll choke." Julien opened a small bag of chips and put them down in front of Zane. Zane turned seeing his brother sitting not to far from him on a box. He kicked his legs and watched them go back and forth. He looked up at his brother with a smile. Zane couldn't help but smile back. It soothed his heart to see him unharmed. He was so afraid for him when they were in that alleyway.

"Zane…?" Zane kept staring at his brother. "Zane…ZANE!" Zane jumped and looked at his father with fear he had never heard such a tone from him.

"Sorry…" He swallowed his food with a bit of effort.

"You need to calm down son. Its over now, you both are safe. Nothings going to get you here." Julien rested his hand on Zanes shaking one. "I promise…" Oh...how wrong he was.


	6. Days after

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone things Echo and Zane are dead, so Julien takes them home. Well...almost everyone...

Authors Notes: Thanks so much for being patient today as ffn wasn't obeying to well or this would have been up 8 hours ago. Cover avatar was done by Grumpy-Zane on tumblr. Absolutely wonderful piece. Also someone said they were going to do more art for this in the reviews. I don't mind at all. Just make sure you take me when you do :D

Twisted Cogs

Chapter 6

Days after

2 Months Later

Dr. Julien watched as Lloyd Garmadon ran down the street deeper into Ninjago City secretly hoping the boy got home alright. Zane and Echo ran back across the street toward the park having finished their tea. Zane bent down again and pointed to something and his brother nodded. He loved watching their curiosity get the better of them. Sadly though he'd have to move the boys elsewhere or they would be found out about. Dr. Julien looked at his phone and sighed. Yet another call from the people at the old labs probably asking questions about the power source. He heard a giddy laugh come from Echo and Julien looked up to see the butterfly taking to the air. Echo had his arms around his equally smiling brother. The butterfly landed on Zanes outstretched hand and he smiled even bigger. He could have sworn that if he had smiled any bigger it would have split his face.

"Does it hurt brother?" Echo asked almost afraid of what the butterfly could do.

"Oh no not at all. It tickles." Zane smiled at his brother.

"Can I?" Echo asked reaching out. The butterfly however had bigger plans and took to the wind and floated up higher. Echo looked disappointed for only a moment.

"Pretty…" He whispered watching it fly away.

A car not to far away from the playing nindroids was positioned at the mouth of the street. Dr. Christopher sporting a new wound over his right eye watched the boys. He had suspected that his old coworkers new children were still alive after all this. He had been pulled from the rubble along with the other coworkers. Julien had left earlier in a frenzy to find them. He could have sworn they weren't within the building. He narrowed his eyes as he watched Zane hold his brothers hand. The thought of them actually 'loving' one another angered him. How could they possibly feel emotions they were robots. His fingers grew tighter around the steering wheel. He liked to imagine that to be their necks. If it weren't for them his life wouldn't be on the line. He had created a robot to match Dr. Juliens blueprints, but it seemed not to work properly. Their was something missing, something that powered it, and no matter what he tried Julien wouldn't divulge how to recreate the power source. So he would just have to do something...drastic to save his own life.

"I'll have you Zane...even if I have to kill Dr. Julien and that copy too. You are mine." He growled turning his car around and leaving, he had a plan.

Zane picked up the plates from the table and handed them off to his brother who was cleaning them. It had been a practice since they became brothers. They would share in all the chores. Julien smiled as he watched them. He was incredibly pleased with the results. He had never been this happy in his life. Their were a few times where they tested his patience especially during bath times. Water always ended up all over the floor. He tried to insure that they don't bathe together anymore, but they would beg and he would relent. How could he say no to them.

"Father? What is Autumn?" Zane asked rather curious as to why they were talking about it on television.

"Its one of the four seasons. Its coming up soon, and they advertise it. That means Day of the Departed will come soon." Julien said rummaging through the closet. "Look…" He pulled out an old lantern. "We haven't lost anyone to put it out, and honestly I didn't know my parents so I never had a reason to put one out. But...this year. We lost a few people at the lab." Julien said and sighed.

"Not Dr. Christopher." Zane grumbled putting the plates away.

"No thank goodness...lets not start wishing people away Zane. Thats never good to wish harm on someone just because they were a bad person. You are here to protect, not to harm. Justice not revenge." Julien said putting the lantern down.

"If you knew no one dad...why did you have a lantern?" Echo asked not turning around. Echo gasped when he felt his fathers hands over his eyes. Zane was rather confused for a moment.

"Garmadon...is an evil man Echo...their are many people out there that need a lantern to find their way home. Thats why I have one. Mine is for those who do not have anyone to show them, as I do not have a family to show. We are here for each other, thats who I am...do you understand?" Julien asked letting Echo go. He blinked a little and looked up at him. His hair scraping his stomach.

"Yes I believe so." Echo said and unplugged the sink.

"That boy though...Lloyd Garmadon. He was nice." Zane said drying the last of the plates before putting them away.

"Yes...he probably sees the bad his father has done, and doesn't want any of it. He sees the pain his father inflicts on others, and it scares him. That boy is probably teased because of what his father does. I feel sorry for him." Julien said

"Yes He did seem sad when you pointed out that you knew who he was. Almost like he was ready to run, and the smile disappeared too." Echo said through a yawn.

"Come...you both are tired, lets get some sleep." Julien ushered his sons to their respected rooms. Echo climbed up in his bed, Zane picked up a stuffed animal that had fallen to the floor. He handed it to his brother and kissed his forehead.

"Sweet dreams brother." Zane said. Echo smiled at his brother and yawned again. He was kissed a second time from Julien.

"Good night Echo." Julien whispered before picking up Zane and walked him toward his own room. Leaving the bedroom door slightly open since Echo didn't like the dark. Zane could just make out his brothers glowing gold eyes shutter closed as sleep took him. Zane turned back as his father let his own door open.

"Alright lets get you tucked in too." Julien said putting Zane on his bed.

"Why do we have seperate rooms?" Zane asked as he rooted around to get under his blankets.

"Because I fear I'd never get any sleep." He chuckled and pulled the blankets up on Zane. Zane giggled.

"Yeah we are pretty loud when together." Zane said smiling. His eyes began to close on their own.

"Zane…?" Julien asked as he turned from leaving.

"Hum?" Zanes mumble tired response.

"Take care of Echo...no matter what." Julien said

"Mmmhum…" Was all Zane said. Julien smiled and walked out of the room closing the door. If Julien had stayed a little longer he would have seen the shadows go by Zanes window.

The smoke drifted down from the attic door. A dark shadow walked down the hallway soundlessly taking the smoke detector from the wall. Then the one from the kitchen before leaving the house completely. Outside their was a group of people on motorcycles. Their jackets and helmets were adorned in bones. The leader sat on a large motorcycle a skull on his helmet.

"That should either kill them or smoke them out." The one who walked out of the house had a red line down his face.

"Good...now lets watch the show." Samukai said with a huge smile on his face. He loved these sorts of things.

Echos optics opened to black smoke being in his room, it was stinging his eyes and causing him to cough a lot. His intake vents closed and he looked around the room for the cause of the smoke. He ran over to his window to try to get out, but it was to far up. He coughed again.

"Zane!" He called. His intakes hitched again. His systems weren't designed to take in smoke. He walked into the hallway, their was a lot more smoke there. "Dad!" He yelled. He coughed up more of the smoke. He reached up opening his brothers door. He turned and closed it behind him. Their was far more fresh air in here then out in the hallway. He gulped it in as much as he could. He felt someones arms around him. He leaned into the cool touch knowing it to be his brother.

"Echo whats wrong?" He could feel his brother shaking in his arms.

"Smoke...lots of smoke." Zane grabbed the glass of water from his bedside table that his father put there every night just in case he needed something to drink. He pressed the cup to his brothers parched lips. Echo opened his eyes for a moment allowing for his brother to feed him the water. The smoke began to go through the cracks of the door. Zane could hear the rafters in the ceiling begin to crake and bow.

"Father!" Zane yelled. "FATHER!" Zane screamed. His throat wasn't supposed to take so much punishment. Zane began to weeze. His door rushed open and Julien ran into the room.

"Close your vents and your eyes."

"What about you?" Zane asked. Julien looked at them apologetically.

"This is my job. I protect you both, I am your father." Julien said picking them both up feeling just how weak Echo grip was. He must have soot stuck to his vents. He wasn't breathing to well. He really needed to amend that fault. Julien burst through the house doors and right into the arms of the skelebone gang.

"Good evening Dr. Julien. I am Dr. Samukai…" Julien put Zane and Echo down behind him. Zane pulled Echo to him, the weaker of the two just leaned against his brother and closed his eyes. He still panted trying to get enough air into his systems.

"Echo?" Zane whispered trying to catch his attention. Echo looked up at him, the glow of his optics kept fluctuating.

"I'll be okay." He whispered.

"I believe you have something of mine." Samukai said

"I have nothing of yours." Julien growled shielding his sons from view.

"So those aren't the robots I had paid for?"

"No...they aren't." Julien said watching as they were surrounded.

"Get them…"


	7. Temper

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Echo, Zane, and Julien have been taken! But it looks like Zane has his eyes on a certain Nindroid.

Authors Notes: This chapter was a bit of a challenge. I always wondered just how those two scientists would be like if they met :D

Twisted Cogs

Chapter 7

Temper

Dr. Julien quickly found himself on his chest, his face being pushed against the grass. He could hear the disapproval of his sons not to far away from him. He tried to fight his way out of his predicament. He pushed the leg off his back and stood up looking around for his boys who were being pulled onto motorcycles. He ran forward to try to get them away from these men. He only took a few feet when one kicked him in the stomach. The air effectively flew from his lungs, another hit him on the back of the head with a pipe. All the color drained from Juliens face as he fell to the grass again. He was picked up and thrown onto the back of a motorcycle.

"Father!" Zanes voice was the last he heard before sweet unconsciousness took over.

Zane watched as his father hit the grass hard. He didn't move, even when the man picked him up and threw him on the back of a motorcycle. Zane felt cold all of the sudden, the fear of his fathers death overtook him. He yell was horrid to listen to, but a blinding white hot light emitted from him, and anything that touched him turned to ice. Echo watched in horror at his brother. He was unaware that his brother could do such a thing, it kind of scared him. He fell off the motorcycle and back peddled away from his brother. Samukai however had better plans. He grabbed Echo and held a dagger to his throat.

"Thats enough kid. Cut that temper tantrum off or your brother dies." He scraped the blade against Echos neck plates and smiled. Zanes powers stopped almost immediately. His eyes stopped glowing, and he held his arms out for his brother. One of the other bikers walked up behind Zane and hit him on the back of the helm. Zane made a choking noise before he fell limp against the ice he had created. Said biker picked him up and put him onto his bike and waved at Samukai.

"Good...now keep calm kid...or you'll suffer the same fate as your father and brother." The words were like knives to his soul. Echo looked from his brother to his father. In his mind they were dead. How could they be alive after all of this. He looked up at the man who had hold of him and just nodded his head. His little processors weren't able to comprehend what was going on, and they just shut down as Zanes did out of exhaustion a few months back. His engines hitched again, his vents still wouldn't let him breathe properly. His head just lay forward onto Samukais huge arm. All he could do was watch the city lights go by.

(0)

Dr. Christopher smiled as he watched the bikers come back to their hideout. He watched Samukai get off his bike holding Echo up. He could see the robots eyes were still open, but he was limp in his arms.

"I think I scared this one, he hasn't moved since."

"They are very well behaved." Dr. Christopher looked up seeing Zanes unconscious form being placed into a room along with Echo. Echo just continued to lay there.

"Is he breathing?" Dr. Christopher walked forward placing his hands next to the vents. They were blowing hot air. He shook his head.

"Whats wrong with it?" One of the guards asked. Dr. Christopher shook his head. "Faulty maybe." He said and walked over to see Samukai putting Julien into a seat and zip tying him down.

"Lets let him sleep for a little while. It'll give me a chance to drink some coffee." Samukai said walking toward the back of the building.

(0)

His head hurt so much, he moaned trying to move. All he could really do that didn't hurt was open his eyes. Zane cringed as the light hit his eyes. He looked around the room seeing Echo against the wall. His eyes were opened but he wasn't moving. Zane slowly got up holding the back of his head. It wasn't much of a wound really, it didn't even leak like he thought it would. He crawled over to Echo, he could hear his fans hitching. He ran his fingers over his back as his father did to him a few times after his own vent episode. He was hot to the touched. Zane looked around the room seeing the sink and found a cup sitting in the middle of the sink. He washed it out best he could and came over to pick his brother up.

"Echo...Echo can you hear me?" Zane asked, their wasn't much of a response just Echo panting trying to get in some air. It was the only way he could. They weren't really meant to breath per say, just bring in fresh air to cool the parts down. But if they couldn't cool down that way water was poured into their mouths to cool it down that way. He parked his brothers lips and poured the water inside. Luckily they didn't have lungs. He could hear the sizzle as the water made contact.

"Oh whats the matter? Little brother running a little hot? I told you robot...I'd have you all to myself someday." Dr. Christopher laughed from behind the bars. "If your dear daddy can't tell us where that power source came from...I'll just have to dissect you to find out. " Zane glared at him holding his brother to him.

"Do what you want with me, but my brother is to remain untouched." Zane growled, he stopped when he felt a gentle hand on his cheek. He looked down to see his brothers optics regaining its light.

"Zane…" Echos processes began to online again. He looked up seeing his brothers glaring eyes at Dr. Christopher. He could see that his brothers night clothing was missing pieces to it, probably from the ice coming from him. The buttons were missing and Zanes chest was exposed. Echo tenderly reached up and closed the shirt to hide his latch for the power source within his chest. It was all he could do. Its all he knew how to do.

"Echo I'm going to need to fix your vents. I...I'm sorry." He said laying his brother down flat pulling his shirt up so he could see the vent covers.

"Will it hurt?" He asked. Zane shook his head.

"I don't know." He told his brother and took the vent covers off and looked inside. The filters were covered with soot. Completely black. He reached in and shook his head. He walked back over to the sink and tore his sleeve off. He held it under water for a moment before coming back over to his brother. He leaned over running the sleeve around the inside of the vent trying to clean the soot out. Echo hitched and made a gagging noise. Zane stopped and looked at his brother. It almost reminded Zane of the time someone put a tongue depressor into his mouth. Echo held his hand over the vent and cringed.

"Brother…" Zane asked unsure of what to do. He was hurting his brother. "I'm sorry I...I don't know what to do."

"Wow your an idiot...using water in an area thats supposed to be for breathing." Dr. Christopher was really interested in finding out just what this robot did next. Probably kill his brother, it was entertainment and their was a few of the gang watching too.

"Stop watching and help me! Please!" Zane called out to Dr. Christopher.

"Don't help him." Samukai smiled looking at Dr. Christopher who actually looked like he was going to help. "Let him do this on his own. I want to see what he can do."

Zane looked down at his brother. He rung his shirt out and touched his brothers hand and looked into his optics.

"I need to finish...or you will stop functioning. You are overheating Echo."

"It hurts…" Echo whispered wishing his father was here. He would know what to do. Zane was just...he looked up into his crisp blue eyes and closed his eyes letting his hand fall back to the concrete floor. Zane reached up and ran his sleeve over Echos soot filled vent. Echo gasped, but it didn't hurt as much as it did the first time. Zane scooped the soot out and washed the cloth off again ringing it out.

"Brother…" Echo coughed spitting up some of the black junk that was being pushed back through the vents that Zane couldn't get. Luckily for Echo the work was just finished and the vent covers were reset. Zane picked his brother up sitting back against the wall and putting the cup back to Echos lips.

"Drink, hopefully it'll get rid of the taste." Zane said kissing the nindroids forehead. Zane heard Echos fans turn back on at full blast. Echo sighed with relief feeling his system begin to right themselves. All his warning buzzers within him stopped going off and everything seemed right again. Zane turned to see his father limp in a steel chair not to far away.

"Father?" Zane looked up at Samukai who was in the room now. He leaned down, to Zane he looked like a mob boss, tailored suit, slicked back hair, and a cigar in his mouth. But their was red smoke coming from it.

"Well done little robot. Now...if you don't mind I'm going to need you two to come with me...so we can...coax your father into telling us how you two have power." He wanted them to cooperate with him so he didn't have to hurt them. He wanted them alive and working. Zane wondered just why he was even there in the first place. Why wasn't his gang doing this? Samukai reached touch grabbing Zanes chin and looked over him better.

"He was right...you were made perfectly...better looking then the other androids we have now."

"Others?" Zane asked

"Yes...others." Through the bars of another cell across from them they saw a man in a wheelchair, a short robotic femme stood next to the wheelchair. Her green optics locked onto his. His power source skipped a beat and he looked down at his brother. Then back up at her again and a ghost of a smile graced his lips. She blushed and hid behind the wheelchair.

"Their are others?"

"Thats Mr. Borg...he's been asked to help us make them. His power sources are just mere batteries...they need to be charged. Yours however...doesn't. You see why we need you?" Samukai picked him up and pushed him toward the door.

"Come now...lets get you into a seat." One of the gang said sitting him down on a chair. Zane gasped when his brother was pulled away from him. Both brothers tried desperately to get back together.

"Shut it! Or I'll kill him!" Samukai had a gun to the unconscious mans head. "Now sit down like good boys." His voice went back to being suave sounding. Zane looked at his brother who was shaking in his chair. Zip ties were put around their arms and legs to keep them in their seats.

"Alright...you can wake the Doctor now…"


	8. Bright Green

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zane spends some time with Pixal, and Dr. Borg

Authors Notes: The popularity of this fic has astounded me. Thanks so much for the love everyone.

Twisted Cogs

Chapter 8

Bright Green

Julien hated that stuff, the smell could wake the dead. He jumped out of unconsciousness almost immediately. He watched as one of the gang members walked away with the dreaded vial of smelling salts. He shuddered and looked around and spotted his sons. Both were zip tied to a chair.

"Are you both alright?" Julien asked seeing the brightness of Echos eyes had gotten brighter since their fire ordeal.

"Zane had to fix my vents, but I'm okay now." Echo said trying to smile even though he was scared. He looked around at Zane. He was looking over their father better now that he was a little close to him. The cast that was around their fathers arm looked to be tore, and he didn't have his sling. Probably left at home, and burned now. Zane suddenly realized their home was gone.

"Father our home." He said. Julien smiled kindly at him.

"Thats alright Zane. As long as we have each other we can make anywhere home." Julien said and cringed when he heard someones deep chuckle. He turned to see a very heavyset man in a suit.

"Oh thats cute. Makes me want to throw up." Samukai said slapping Julien on his back and sat down on a chair in between them."Alright...lets get started I have a meeting in an hour." He looked at Julien. "We know you made this power source right? Or did you have help?" Juliens eyes went up to one of the gang members who had what looked like a lead pipe above Echo. Zane followed his eyes up to the man. He gasped struggling with the bindings.

"Leave him alone!" Zane felt someones hand on his own neck plates. He turned slightly to see a woman with black and purple hair smiling down at him.

"If I were you I'd worry about myself." She smiled down at him. Zane involuntarily gulped and looked around at his father. Julien shook his head and looked up at Samukai.

"I had help." He finally said

"Oh and who was that?" Samukai walked around Julien. Julien cringed when he heard the lead pipe go down on Echos leg. The robot boy screamed made his body quake. Zane once again struggled to get to his brother. The bindings wouldn't allow it.

"Please Samukai stop this. Its madness!" Borgs voice called from his cell. Julien looked up to see that dark haired inventor. He only knew of him through social circles and the news. Cyrus Borg. It was the man he only just signed a contract with to help him create new bodies for Zane and Echo.

"Shut up Borg or I'll do the same to your pretty robot." Samukai smiled at the silver haired femme. She gasped, but stood her ground. Zane felt his power source flip flop again.

"Pretty…" He whispered and jumped out of his thoughts again when someone tipped his chair back. The tip of a blade forced his neck plate off. He gasped looking up at the wire cutters.

"Come on Julien...who helped you?"

"No please stop! That will kill him!"

"Then I'd start talking...Oh I have an idea…" He moved the cutters away and picked something up from near the cell they had once occupied. "We got to see first hand what happens when the vents are covered." He laughed and pulled Zanes shirt tearing it the rest of the way off. Zane watched him pick the sleeve that he once used to clean Echos vents and tore it in two. He pulled the vent covers off and smiled at Julien.

"Answer?"

"I can't it was of the utmost confidence that I do not." Julien yelled. Samukai shrugged his shoulders balling the pieces of and shoved each piece into Zanes vents. Zane immediately couldn't breath. He tried and tried to get air in through his vents. Warning after warning across his vision popped up. He tried to struggle, he could hardly even speak.

"Zane!" Echo called trying to catch his attention. Zane slowly turned to look at his brother. His vision was dancing now.

"I guess this is it then. Its not like he's going to need his power source anyways. Might as well use it."

"Echo…?" Zane rasped out. "...Love." Zanes optics flickered.

"Love you too brother." Echo watched his brothers optics fade out.

"The ice ninja...the white one. He gave him the power source. Please remove that cloth! Let him breath." Samukai pulled the cloth from Zanes vents and smiled.

"Now was that so hard?" Samukai smiled laughing to himself.

"What?!..thats it?" Dr. Christopher asked. "Your going to believe him?"

"I seen what that boy can do when having a temper tantrum. I believe him."

"Temper tantrum?" Christopher asked. Samukai smiled down at Dr. Christopher. "He froze a few of my men. Stopped them solid in a huge slab of ice."

"Wow…" Christopher looked around at Zane whose unconscious body leaned against his brothers shoulder. "Extraordinary."

"Yes...it would be prudent to keep an eye on that one. But in the meantime...throw him in with Borg...I don't want the other two to have contact with him. Think of it as a punishment for making me wait so long."

"No Please!" Echo called out, cringing when his leg popped again.

Borg wheeled away from the door so they could enter.

"Borg...please." Julien called over to Borg. Borg nodded to Julien knowing what was being said. Borg watched as they put him on a large pile of hay in the corner. Borg slowly slipped from his chair and leaned over Zane. Zanes temperature was high still. At least his vents were working again.

"Pixal...water please." Borg whispered looking up at Samukai who looked through the bars. Pixal ran back with a cup of water and poured it onto his back panels. It made a loud sizzling noise. Zane gasped but his features quickly went from pained to ease. Pixal did this again twice more before the temperature was adequate enough. Borg sighed putting his hand on Zanes forehead.

"Poor thing. At least he's breathing easier. He couldn't be any older then you Pixal." Borg had finished Pixal a month ago.

"Very young." Pixal whispered. She looked at her creator and smiled his eyes were drooping now. The poor man hadn't got enough sleep since they got there. He was just to afraid to close his eyes again. Especially after waking up to Pixal being strapped to a table. She still felt their hands ghosting through her parts. She involuntarily cringed at the feeling. She felt a hand on hers. She looked up to see Borg smiling at her.

"We'll get out of here, I promise." He whispered to her. She smiled fondly at her father and reached down to continue to do her job.

Across in the second cell Julien had Echo on his lap looking over his leg. Their wasn't much he could do for him. All he could really use was his fingernails on the screws. A lot of the metal was belt in gross positions that made him want to gag. Echo was being incredibly brave for one who had just been alive for two months. He looked up to see Borg looking around at him. He sat up straight and Borg nodded his head. Julien sighed and let his shoulders slump.

"He's okay." He told Echo. Echo sniffled as he watched his father fiddle with his busted leg. The sniffling grew in intensity and Echo just turned to hide his face from the guards. His fingers wrapped around his fathers shirt. Julien sighed putting his arms around the young nindroid.

"They're going to kill him. They want his power source. They said so." Echo Whimpered letting the tears soak into his fathers shirt.

"We'll get out. We have to." Julien kissed the top of Echos head.

Night came quickly for them. Pixal found that Borg couldn't keep his eyes open anymore and finally fell asleep not to far away from them. Her fingers rested on Zanes helm feeling the soft hair. She had cleaned his vents out a bit since their was residual soot from the sleeves. She looked over his body from his toes poking out from under the night pants, his stomach even had a belly button. Julien really went into detail with them. They even had fingernails. She wondered slightly if Echo was as intricately made as his older brother. He looked up to see Echos head laying against Juliens chest. She could see his frightened features tighten in his sleep. He was having a nightmare. How odd...he can dream. She looked down at Zane and nearly jumped out of her metal skin. The bright blue eyes were open and staring at her. He could see those bright green eyes. It made his pump beat faster. He wasn't to sure why her hand was on her helm, but he wasn't complaining. She was so beautiful he couldn't move, he was fixated on her.

"Hello." She finally said

"Hi…" Was all he could get out, he felt stupid. He needed to say something else. "I'm...I'm Zane." He told her.

"I am Pixal, Primary Interactive External Assistant Lifeform. What does Zane stand for?" She whispered trying not to wake Borg.

"I...well I…" He thought about it and shook his head. "I stand for peace, justice, and courage in the…" A guard slammed his pipe against the doors.

"Shut up!" He yelled effectively waking everyone in the cells. Borg turned over and looked at Zane and smiled.

"Well hello. I'm glad to see your awake." Borg smiled at him. Zane couldn't help but smile back at him.

"His name is Zane." Pixal offered. Borg smiled at Zane and held his hand out.

"Cyrus Borg." He told him. Zane took his hand and shook it. "I am the one who created this beauty." He could see the fascination Zane had for Pixal. Pixal blushed a green color and put her hands on her cheeks trying to hide it.

"You are...beautiful." Zane told her. Pixal cleared her throat and turned away. Pixal then turned back to Borg and scanned him and sighed. Her hands on her lap. "You are going to start deteriorating if they do not give you food." She said Borg chuckled and shook his head. It wasn't a lie he was hungry...very hungry. He had been there for three days without food. Zane looked up at his family. His brothers optics are what he saw when he looked across the darkened rooms. It was night and their weren't a lot of people around. Their weren't any windows, but he could see a purple hue to the sky through the cracks in the tin ceiling. It was morning now.

"Pixal lets get you plugged in." Borg said motioning to the outlet.

"Yes Mr. Borg." Pixal said and sat back against the wall as Borg plugged her in. The outlet zapped and popped. Pixal gasped in pain. Zane rushed forward pulling her from the outlet. He looked at the wire and then at Pixal who held her shoulder which is where the wire was hidden.

"Oh no…" He looked at Pixal. "How are your power reserves?" He asked her.

"I'm at twenty five percent. I will not last another hour." Pixal whispered and let Zane turn her around to look at the wire. He shook his head and looked up at the guard.

"She needs power." He told him. The guard smiled and shrugged.

"Not my problem." He said laughing. Zane gritted his teeth and looked around at Borg who held Pixal on his lap.

"Just stay still and don't use your reserves. Just sleep." He told her. Pixal nodded her head resting her head against Borgs shoulder. She looked up at Zane.

"Look after him...Zane." Pixal asked. Zane nodded his head.

"Alright."


	9. P.I.X.A.L

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> more of Pixal and Zane

Authors Notes: Warning! There are some character deaths in this chapter. However its no one that wasn't going to die in the first place. We all knew they died. One more chapter left! Their will be a new story though that shows the training of the ninja. 'Shadows.'

Twisted Cogs

Chapter 9

Secrets

Echo kept waking up in the night. He tried to get some sleep as his father instructed, but all he could really do was lay against him. If he did drift off he had nightmares. His leg hurt him too, his father did what he could without any tools, but it wasn't much since he couldn't put the wires back together properly. Just twist them together. He really wanted his brother right now. He however sat in another cell with the femme who looked so weak right now. He watched his brother move her hair from her forehead as she rested. He could see it in Zanes optics. He really liked that femme. Echo smiled despite everything. He wanted to see his brother happy, and he was sure that femme could make him happy. Maybe when this was all over with she could go to school with them too?

"Pixal?" He heard Zanes voice from across the room. Her head had lollied to her chest, her green optics flickered on and off for a moment. Borg leaned in and adjusted his glasses since he was looking down at her.

"Pixal?" Their wasn't much of a response now. "Please Guard she needs power or she'll stop functioning!"

"Still...not my problem." He said turning back around looking at Echo who was leaned against the bars trying to see his brother better over Borg. Julien appeared next to him. The side of his face was bruised from the punishment he received yesterday. Probably when he was shoved to the ground. His glasses were cracked and bent.

"Zane…" Julien gasped when he saw his son open his own power source. He looked up at his father a little scared at what he planned to do. He reached into his chestplate and pulled half of his power source out and placed it into Pixals chest. She jerked forward at the sudden power within her. She looked down at his hand in hers. She looked up at Zane and then at his chest plate.

"You...gave me half of your power source?" She asked. Zane softly smiled at her.

"You are vital to me." He whispered. Pixal reached up putting her hand on his chest plate and closed her eyes. Zanes hand rested on hers and he scooted down so he was laying next to her. He found sleep was immediate. He jerked awake when he was pulled into a standing position.

"Dr. Christopher wants a good look at you." The guard growled. He turned to see Pixal in Borgs arms protectively.

"Zane!" She called reaching out for him. He held his arm out for her and shook his head.

"I'll be fine Pixal." Zane yelled out trying to comfort her. He was placed down on a tin table. A huge light overhung him and shined into his optics causing him to blink and rub them.

"Hello there Zane." Dr. Christopher smiled down at him, He had scrubs on, a face mask, and his greasy hair was all he could see. His hand went up to look over his optics with a scrutinizing eye. Zane shook his head to get his hand off.

"I see...so you still don't like me hum? Well that doesn't matter anyways. I think its about time I did what I promised right?" Zane couldn't see under his mask but he could have sworn he was smiling. Zane gasped as his chest was opened. Christopher picked something up out of view all Zane could see was a metal plate.

"Its smaller…" Christopher touched the power source sending a shock right through Zane. He gasped shuddering feeling the creepy hand moving his parts around. Zane gagged and tried his best to move the hand away from his chest.

"Stop...don't touch me." Zane cried out.

"Dr. Christopher stop! He asked you to stop!" Julien yelled pushing on the bars trying to get out. Echo picked up a piece of metal that fell from the ceiling. He ran over to the door and threw it at Christopher. It lodged into Christophers back. His yells echoed within the room.

"Zane run!" He heard someone yell. Something crashed through the ceiling. Zanes shaky hand closed his chestplate. He turned to see a large white mech. The ice symbol on a flag.

"G...Ganki?" Zanes words were very weak sounding.

"Zane...run." Pixal yelled from where she was. He slowly rolled off the table running over and opened the cell with Borg and Pixal. Borg wheeled out of the cell moving toward the back of the building away from the battle.

Zane stumbled over to his father and brothers cell. He put the key into the lock.

"You...this is all your fault!" Zane gasped jumping out of the way as Dr. Christopher swung a pole down. Zane cringed hearing the pole his the cell bars.

"Don't! You've already injured him enough Dr. Christopher. You have apparently dislodged something important."

"Dislodged...don't you mean I broke something in him?" Dr. Christopher held something up. "If someone hadn't of shoved a piece of metal in me I probably wouldn't have." Dr. Christopher held up a small piece of piping. Julien gasped turning the key and ran out. He pulled open Zanes chest plate. Within was a large pool of oil. The piping was to his pump box that acted as his heart allowing for oil to distribute throughout his body. Julien looked around and spotted something.

"Echo give me that straw…" He called out to his son. Echo grabbed the straw which was still inside of someones drink. He glared at Christopher as he went by.

"You can't fix him with that Julien…" Christopher laughed.

"Who asked you!" Echo ran up and kicked his shins. He gasped jumping around.

"You little shit!" He kicked at Echo. The kick never connected, something jumped onto his back and pulled at his greasy hair.

"Do not harm him!" Pixals voice echoed. Zane smiled through the fog and looked up at his father.

"Thats my girl." He whispered. Julien just chuckled.

Another loud rumble signalled the arrival of the blue mech. Its owner swung it around colliding with a few other of the skelebone brothers mechs.

"This has turned into a war zone." Julien said picking up Zane. Zane felt his oil pumping again, but it wasn't as much as he would have liked.

"Borg will you be alright following us?" Julien asked Borg picked up Echo and put him on his lap. Pixal was next to him. This was the first time Echo could actually look at her properly. She smiled kindly at him, and he blushed. She was pretty.

"Hurry up and get out of here. This place will not stay standing." Ganki yelled to them.

"Looks like we have no choice." Borg said wheeling himself toward the back where they saw a door. Once in the alleyway they were able to get onto the sidewalk which was a lot easier on Borg.

"What do we do now?" Echo asked looking down at his hurt leg. "We don't have a home anymore. They burned it down." Echo said

"Don't worry Echo. You can stay with me till you get back on your f…"

"I don't think I told you that you could leave." Samukais voice called out to them. Borg only had seconds to react. He back wheeled back into the alleyway. Zane gasped seeing white armor spray the road. Samukais laugh echoed down the alleyway.

"Ganki!" Zane yelled seeing his friend fall from his shattered mech. The man who carelessly gave him is elemental ability as if he were family. He lay on his side bleeding on the sidewalk. Julien ran forward turning him over. Zane climbed out of his fathers arms so he could look him over better.

"Zane…" Ganki coughed, blood spray the side of his mouth.

"Internal bleeding…" Julien said using his sleeve to wipe up the blood from his face.

"You are going to be very important to this city. A ninja like me. Its your destiny please…" Ganki coughed again. Zane leaned forward putting his forehead against the other mans.

"I'm scared."

"Who isn't? Zane you were designed to protect those who can't protect themselves. You were made...to protect them all." Ganki Whispered

"Ganki!" The blue ninja mech turned a corner and rushed at Samukai. Zane looked back down at the white ninja. His eyes were closed, to Zane he looked rather peaceful. He even had a smile on his face.

"Zane we must go." Julien picked Zane back up and ran back down another alleyway. Zane looked around wondering where Echo was

"Father?" He whispered. Julien interrupted him.

"I know...I don't know where they are either. Are you functioning properly? I saw that you gave that femme half our heart?"

"Yes...she...well she…" Zane sighed looking up at his father not really sure how to explain things to him.

"I know…" Julien chuckled and spotted Borg wheeling the nindroids forward.

"Dad!" Echos panicked voice echoed. The blue ninja was just behind them running in their direction.

"Keep going!" She yelled. Samukai was just behind her. Most of his mech was in pieces but still running. Julien gasped being thrown to the ground after Samukai threw a piece of wall at them. The blue mech shielded them mostly, but the hand of the mech that had the weapon in it was crushed.

"Go!" She yelled. A few seconds later a large explosion shook the city. Zane pushed his father into Borg which wheeled them away from the metal that flew. Pixal could see the pieces every one of them knowing where they would all end up. Her processor however showed her in slow motion it would seem. For the piece of blue metal lodged itself into Zanes stomach plating. It wasn't very big, but it still did major damage to his systems. The blue mech had hold of Samukai, she pushed him back a few steps and motioned for them to get Zane out of there. Julien didn't waste any time, and picked up his unconscious son.

"Zane!" Echo looked around Borgs shoulder to see his brother was leaking oil faster now then ever.

"He'll be fine…"

"We have fifteen minutes to get him to Borg industries or he will stop functioning. At our current pase...we will not make it." Pixal said stopping her father. "You will have to use me for parts…" Pixal said. Borg gasped looking down at her. "Are you sure?" He asked. Pixal nodded her head.

"He saved me...its the least I can do to save him. We are...compatible." She said. Borg sighed and looked at Julien. Julien gulped not wanting to take something so precious from Borg as his daughter.

"It is what she wants." Borg told him.

Zane opened his optics sometime later. His hand went right up to his midsection, he gasped looking around at himself and then the room. He was in a brand new building. He looked at himself again. Everything looked brand new. He even had skin. His eyes locked onto a face on the computer.

"Greetings Zane. Did you sleep well?" Zane looked at himself in the mirror. He was brand new.

"What...happened?" He asked his voice didn't sound robotic anymore either.

"You were damaged. Borg and Julien used my body to fix you. But they went beyond fixing once you got to Borg industries."

"What…?" He looked at himself and then her. "Your in...in the computer now? No body?" He asked her.

"That is correct." Zane looked at her.

"I...I'm sorry." He whispered.

"For what? It was my choice. I saved you." Zane closed his eyes balling up his fists and reached out plucking Pixals microprocessor unit and plugging it into the back of his helm.

"There...now you'll never be alone." Zane said.

"You...are a genius." She said allowed. Zane chuckled.

"No...just upgraded." She giggled, to Zane her giggle sounded like a song. A beautiful song.


	10. Hope

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally everything comes to an end...or has it?

Authors Notes: Last chapter. But its not the end. I've had a lot of people wanting me to write an afterwards explaining their ninja training. I'll be writing a third one too thats more of an afterwards to the movie too so theirs that.

Twisted Cogs

Chapter 10

Hope

Zane slowly opened the door and looked around the hallway. It looked so clean. All white, even the floor. He looked to...perfect. He slowly walked down the hallway. He wasn't to sure where he should go. Everything looked the same. His stomach growled loudly after smelling something in the air.

"The cafeteria should be through those doors." Pixal said within his mind. He really wanted to eat, but he also wanted to find his family.

"Later…"

"Your father and brother are fine Zane." Pixal said. "Shall I guide you to them?" Zane smiled feeling his pump box fluctuate within his chest.

"Yes please." He asked of her. Pixal smiled and display showed where he should go. Zane began to walk. His hand trailing over the wall. For some reason he found that his toes were cold on the floor. "How long was I out?" Zane asked.

"A few days I'm afraid. You were really weak and your processor began to frag. We had to do a lot of rewriting to get you back to the way you were. We almost lost you Zane." the last part was so sad. Zane wished he could hug her. He wasn't sure what he would have done if he had lost anyone. Especially her.

"Zane in there." Pixal signalled. Zane reached out and slowly opened the door. He peaked in and looked around. His father was laying on the couch. On his chest was Echo. His hand had a wad of his fathers shirt in his hand. Echo looked the same as before except his leg was different. A minor fix after being crushed. Zane cringed at the thought of the sound and his brothers screams. His put his hands on his head trying to rid himself of the memory. He felt a soft hand on his shoulder.

"Zane?" That voice. He looked up to see Borg. He had wheeled over to him after he saw him fall to his knees. "Are you not feeling well?"

"Memories." Zane simply said.

"That whole ordeal was horribly chaotic. Im sure if you tell Archie about it he'll understand. He's a good man." Borg said.

"Archie?"

"Oh you just know him by his last name. Has your father never told you his full name?"

"What is a full name?" Zane asked.

"Zane?" The voice came from within the room. Zane peaked into the room and saw his father sitting up on the couch. Echo was still sleeping in his arms. His thumb stuffed in his mouth. It was so odd since he never actually used a bottle so it would hardly be a comfort. How odd. Zane walked forward. He noticed he was a little taller then his original body.

"How is he?" Zane asked picking up a blanket and placing it on his sleeping brother. Echo made a whimper noise and rolled over.

"Exhausted. He watched over you most of the night before falling asleep." Julien said "And theirs that thumb thing…"

"He falls asleep in the most precarious positions." Pixal said. Zane chuckled and blushed.

"He does."

"He does? What?" Zane realized to everyone else he must look like he's insane.

"Oh I have...I have Pixal here." He pointed to his head. "I put her microprocessor in me." Julien could see him blush so much better then before.

"Zane you got it bad…"

"Got what bad?" Zane asked.

"Love…" Borg said Zane heard a small giggle in his head. He could feel Pixal blushing too. His stomach grumbled loudly. He gasped trying to hold the giant sound in. But since he was standing next to Echo his eyes shot open and looked around tiredly. He sat up rubbing his eyes.

"Dad…?" He looked around and then up at his brother. It took a few seconds for things to sink in. Echos optics locked onto his brothers. He took a labored breath and held his arms out for him. Zane took his brothers hands and pulled him close.

"I'm okay now." Zane whispered. Echos sobs were all he could hear for some time, He was unable to let him go, he found he couldn't till the smaller nindroid let go first. Just repeating that he was there and okay. Eventually Echo let his brother go and looked up at him. Zane pulled his brother back to him and picked him up. Echo held onto his shirt and put his head down on his shoulder.

"Is this what its like to have a sibling?" Pixal asked. Zane smiled down at the tuft of hair that belonged to his brother.

"It is…" Zane found a large plate of food in front of him after a while. Pancakes, eggs, bacon, and toast. He cut up the pancakes and just started to eat them quickly.

"Whoa slow down son its not going to run away." Julien said.

"I've never been this hungry before father." He said drinking the milk before eating more. Echo watched his brother eat. But despite how hungry Zane was he held out his fork for his brother to eat too. Echo smiled kindly at his brother and took the bite to please him.

"I never seen a robot eat human food before. I never thought they could." Borg said watching Zane eat as much as he could hold.

"Yes I wanted to make them as human as possible."

"And he shares too...look at him. He's making sure Echo eats as much as he does. Is their nutritional values?" Borg asked.

"Yes, it helps their skin, hair, and nails grow."

"So they will seem almost perfectly human...You are brilliant Archie."

"I'm still not totally sure where he got his big brother thing from. Its probably something of his own mindset. He's just naturally a perfect big brother." Julien said. Echo looked up at his father.

"He is perfect. I love my big brother." Echo smiled as big as he could before pouncing his big brother nuzzling him. Zane just hugged his brother close still holding his fork.

"Alright Echo let your brother eat." Julien chuckled and helped the boys to separate without messing up the table or plates of food.

"But...what about Pixal?" Zane asked Borg. Borg sighed shaking his head.

"We'll just have to see what comes of her. As of right now she was hard to build. The parts we used for her were hard to come by. I've reordered those parts, but...their are a few that need certain metals and...we just can't find those in fast quantities. I'll either have to find enough metal or find a replacement. Its...going to take some time." Borg said and leaned down to look Zane in the eyes. "Take care of her for me until then?"

"She has half my heart...she can stay with me forever...with or without a body." Zane said Borg smiled down at Zane ruffling his hair.

"I'll hold you to it."

Night fell across Ninjago. Zane was curled into a little ball around his brother who refused to go to bed in his own room. This building they were in Zane found to be Borg industries. A lot of the top floor was apartments for college students who were apprintacing Borg. Mostly Inventors, engineers, or even a few artists. Zane pulled the blanket up onto his shoulder feeling cold. It was officially spring now, but he found himself to be eternally cold. He couldn't get warm, even in the hot bath he had that night. His brother felt warm to the touch though, so he pulled him closer. Echo yawned and looked up at his brother.

"You okay?" He whispered. Zane smiled and nodded at his brother.

"Yeah just cold." Zane whispered back. Echo nodded his head.

"Ganki gave you his powers didn't he? Maybe you're just projecting that." Echo said sitting up and jumped nearly out of his skin when someone grabbed him from behind. A cold piece of metal pressed against his head. Zane could see who it was in the dark. Dr. Christopher stood there a hand gun pressed against Echos helm.

"You and your family screwed me over. Messed up my carrier." He growled

"You can have me...I'll go with you...just please...let Echo go." Zane tried to speak slowly so the angry man could make out what he was saying. Zane could see the stitches on the mans forehead. Probably obtained when the building collapsed. Dr. Christopher wound his fingers around Echos neck. His knuckles going white from the pressure. Echo felt the air passage cut off. Echo gagged at the feel, and tried to pull his hand away. He was being held up by this hand.

'"I have alerted Dr. Julien." Pixal informed Zane. Zane could pick up the sound of his fathers feet running down the hallway.

"Zane?" Echo was able to force out of his voice box. Zane could hear the words were strained. Zane looked up at Christopher.

"Let my brother go…" Zane could see his brothers optics flickering. "Please your killing him."

"Christopher!" Julien picked up the chair from the desk and hit him with it. Christopher fell down onto his front. Echo fell to the ground coughing. Zane ran forward to grab Echo. He was kicked on the chestplate. This caused him to fall back onto his back side. Julien and Christophers fumbled for the gun. A shot rang out. Julien stumbled back clutching his shoulder.

"Father!" Zane yelled running forward. Zane found the gun right in his face.

"You worthless piece of hardware!" Zane hoped to never see this much anger on anyones face ever again. For in that moment he felt he had lost everything. The trigger was pulled, and a mass of bronze overtook his vision. Zane found himself on his front and a lot of bronze and silver parts all around him. When he rolled over he could see that Echos arm and the top part of his chest had been blown completely off his body. Zane felt the horror envelope him. The scream that emitted from his throat was rage. Pure white hot rage. He felt himself grow impossibly cold and the room itself began to grow cold. Christopher dropped his gun when he saw the glow of Zanes optics glaring at him. Zane reached out taking hold of the gun. Ice formed from the gun up Christophers arm and overtook his body in seconds. In a matter of moments Christopher was gone.

"Its alright Zane...its okay now." Pixals words woke him from his rage. He turned to look at his brother.

Borg rushed into the room seeing the ice covering everything, Julien was in the corner bleeding from his covered wound. Zane had did what he could to keep the blood from flowing, Zanes arms however had his brother in it. Zane looked up at Borg, tears streaming down his face.

"He saved me." He cried out, sob after sob stabbed Borgs heart. He watched the brothers pain filled heart breaking.

"Zane quickly...bring him." Borg called. He pointed to the paramedics. "We'll be with you all at the hospital." He told them. Zane turned for a few moments to see them putting Julien onto a stretcher.

Zane placed Echo down on a table. Across from them was a body that looked a lot like his new one. A lot more human then nindroid.

"I've been playing with this one after making yours." He told Zane. he reached over plugging something into the back of Echos neck. He pecked at a computer and Echos optics faded out. Zane began to panic.

"What did you do to him?!" He yelled.

"Relax Zane. I'm just putting Echo in this body. His data is being transferred." Borg smiled at Zane. Zane reached up touching the new Echos body. His hair was twice as soft as before.

"Last part is to put his power source in. Its not like mine...he doesn't have an elemental power like me."

"Oh...he doesn't." But it wasn't question...it was said in a 'we shall see' sort of way. Zane looked curiously at his brother wondering just what Borg meant by this. He watched him fit the clock into his brothers chest. The ticking was instant and Echos optics began to glow again.

"Echo?" He called out and smiled when he blinked and looked at him.

"Zane...your okay?" He ran his fingers over his neck and gasped seeing his old body. It was in pieces on the table. He touched his chestplate and looked down at himself. "I'm like you." He said looking up at Borg. Borg smiled.

"Looks good."

It had been nearly a month since then and Zane found himself standing just outside his brothers classroom. He had on a bright green backpack with a picture of a ninja on the back of it. He had taken a deep fascination with the ninja after they had been saved.

"I'll pick you up right here once the bell rings alright?" Zane told his brother. Echo nodded his head and hugged him. "Be good and do as your told." Echo had developed a rebellious streak after being in this body. The only one that seemed to be able to tell him what to do was Zane. Echo ran into the room and Zane walked toward his own classroom. He knocked on the door. The teacher opened it and Zane handed her a piece of paper. The teacher read it and smiled.

"On Loan from Borg Industries huh? A robot?" She asked and Zane shook his head.

"I am just a regular teen." He told her. It was a disguise. He walked into the room and someone rushed him. At first he wasn't sure what to expect then he realized it was the same tuft of blond hair as he seen on Lloyd Garmadon. Yes...this was going to be a perfect. He followed Lloyd to the back of the room and waved at a boy with a red jacket, and a boy wearing headphones.

"I am Zane." He told them.

Will Continue in a new fic 'Shadows'


End file.
